


Dancing Along

by Rainboopz



Category: The Things We Do
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-05-31 16:45:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15123671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainboopz/pseuds/Rainboopz
Summary: A fanfic for "The Things We Do". While the guides go find a new escort on a small, shabby liminal planet, Cipher decides he'll join in on a musical gathering. The sad part was that Cipher has two left feet. He figures that out pretty soon, but he acts too late as he's forced to be someone's dancing partner. The sucky consequences? Jail time. The only solution? Blackburn doing a jig.





	Dancing Along

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Riplae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riplae/gifts), [Sycophantism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sycophantism/gifts).



> _**The Things We Do**_ || [AO3 Story](https://archiveofourown.org/series/800742) | [Tumblr Blog](https://thethingswedorp.tumblr.com) | _*Please read on desktop so all images are displayed properly_
> 
> Why the hell did I write this? WELL STORY TIME
> 
> My sister and I were watching _How to Train Your Dragon: 2_ (I wanted to watch something else but she had the remote so I lost) and there was this dancing scene that popped up. I remembered that I really liked the song that played in it, "For the Dancing and the Dreaming". You can give it a [listen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLcrxhE_xQw&frags=pl%2Cwn) and watch the [clip!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEYV6QBw0E&frags=pl%2Cwn) ~~You should really listen first it'll set the mood tbh~~
> 
> I was already writing a fanfic with Phoenix and Blackburn at the time, so TTWD popped into my mind. Like all my dumb thoughts, I just thought, "Heh, that'll be funny if the gang just started dancing."
> 
> "WAIT THAT'S HILARIOUS I SHOULD GO WITH THAT HOLY SHIT-"
> 
> So yeah I wrote this, inspired by the music. This is also historically accurate because I looked it up and pirates _did_ do jigs like this so hahaaa *finger guns*
> 
> It was supposed to be super short, but one thing led to another and now it's a **big boi.** It could be depicted as shippy (so I tagged it as such) but _honestly_ I just wanted the gang to friggin relax and have fun- so whatever your heart desires it shall be it! I got super nervous writing this because I didn't really know how well I can depict these wonderful characters, so if I mess up and it's all OOC I'm so sorry! I just hope you enjoy this dumb thing though  <3

Twisting it around, the chunk of crystals shimmered under the warm glow of the lanterns and torches. Looking through it showed a warped view of figures talking and moving about with objects in their hands. The more it was shifted the more the crystal glinted, teasing at its priceless brilliance. Not wanting to attract any greedy eyes, Cipher put the rock away in his bag. He continued to watch the small gathering of aliens across the other pier bridge, one a little ways below his. They were space farers of some kind, lounging around a small campfire with drinks and assorted instruments. Chatter and laughter filled the night air.

The gang had landed on a rinky-dink liminal planet after their latest host ship broke down. It seemed quaint and mundane, but of course they managed to get into a small mess, which led them through a trifling series of events that no one really needed. But that's all done and over with. Cipher got some loot out of it, however he had to part with half to help Madens and Chessur find and or bribe a new escort. That bit might be hard, since all the ships at the wharf here looked too shabby to go a great distance. This will be a long wait. Sighing, Cipher laid back on some sacks he was sitting on, staring up at the stars. Despite the delay he intended on idling about for as long as he could, since it seemed they could never catch a break anyways.

Instruments started to sound off from the silence. The aliens were testing them out. After a few more tries and some hushing, they had begun to play. Music rose from the group and floated into Cipher's ears. The sound was jolly in a way, a mixture of laughter, strings, and tambourines rolled off with some sort of wind instrument. A few hoots and hollers went with the song, getting louder along with the music. At least someone was having fun. Cipher closed his eyes, hoping that the music would lull him to sleep to pass the time.

"Haven't heard that one in a while."

Cipher turned his head and saw that Blackburn had appeared beside him. He had his arms crossed and stood leaning on a stack of crates. Blackburn was watching the scene, which had attracted more people to come and observe the gathering.

"What are you doing out? You okay?" asked Cipher.

Blackburn frowned and rolled his shoulder. "Tired. Still kinda pissed at what happened. Don't want to be on this darn planet anymore." He shrugged. "And, bored as you."

The ghost had an awful interaction with some equally eerie items, almost draining his powers away. Cipher nodded, and then changed the subject. "You know the song?"

"...Yes. I think we played that one before…"

The thief raised a brow. "Not sure any of us are musically inclined."

"What? No. My ship- crew- or whatever played it. Maybe. I don't know." Blackburn waved it off. "I do know that I've heard these types of songs before. I think they're all the same to be honest, but that really doesn't matter to a bored pirate."

Huh, interesting. Blackburn was right though, because now that he mentioned it Cipher did recall hearing something similar during his hideouts on ships. The thief promptly sat back up to check out the scene again. Not only were the aliens playing instruments and singing, but they were now dancing with each other in pairs. A few onlookers cheered on. Cipher didn't know the reason for the festivities, but it looked darn entertaining.

He hopped up from his seat and rubbed his chin. "You think I should get in on that?" He said.

Blackburn gave Cipher a doubtful look. "You think you can dance at all?"

Cipher opened his mouth to say yes, but he stopped himself after remembering several times where he tripped on his own left leg. Despite having careful reflexes in thieving, those couldn't fix his rhythm much. So instead, he replied with, "I make a _very_ good effort, so I can try. Better than waiting around here."

"I'd rather not get second-hand embarrassment watching you stomp on someone." The ghost grumbled.

"Tch, come on! It can't be that hard. They're just like… going in circles." Cipher saw that the pairs were at one point holding the other's arm, arms, kicking their legs out to and fro, and were winding back around to reverse. Some were even doing completely different combinations, so it started to look confusing. "Hm." Cipher tried to put one foot in front of the other and continue to steps, but the dancing had gone faster with the music. He froze in defeat.

Behind him the ghost held back a chuckle at Cipher's attempts. Frowning, the thief turned back around and gestured to the crowd. "What about you? Can you do that?"

Blackburn rolled his eye. "Yeah I know _how_ to do it, but I'm not going to."

"Ah, 'cause you're trying to keep that tough guy shtick up." Cipher grinned and snapped a finger at him. "I know a party pooper when I see one, I get it."

"I'll make you get stuffed in a barrel if you don't pipe down."

"Okay, sheesh." The thief put his palms up and backed away. "Wouldn't want to see you do a jig anyways, that would be weird." Cipher dramatically shuddered.

A loud cheer erupted from below. The song ended on that note, and the dancers fell back into the growing crowd to get drinks. A few words were exchanged and after a minute the aliens readied their instruments again for a new song. They looked like ordinary rugged sailors, but Cipher had to admit they were very good musicians as well. He really did feel like dancing or at least humming along to the last tune.

New people who plucked up the courage to participate stepped forward with their partner. A new song started, but this time slowly with emphasis on the strings. Cipher shot a glance at Blackburn, who saw and glanced back in suspicion. Wearing a wry smile, Cipher looked back down and tried to copy one of the alien's moves. With an invisible partner, he circled around with an arm up, and then reversed as the others did. So far it was easy, and so far it annoyed Blackburn to see Cipher try. "I don't think I'm half bad!" The thief commented.

More instruments chimed in and Cipher felt the music go just a bit faster. They were now doing something with their legs, and he did the same. He almost got it, but he tripped up on the last bit and stumbled. "No uh, wait—" He lost his train of thought and continued to struggle, finding the right way to position everything while still moving. Cipher smiled nervously, embarrassed at his own attempts and silently panicking as the music went faster even still.

Blackburn, on the other hand, was horrified. Watching Cipher mess up, the pirate winced and grimaced at every wrong move. It looked like a bow-legged bird was trying to do a mating dance but was intoxicated and being electrocuted at the same time. What's worse was that Cipher just kept on doing it. Blackburn would go back to his ring, but the reason he was out here now was because he was tired of being cooped up there in the first place. He face palmed instead.

Seeing that, Cipher spat, "Hey cut me some slack I'm trying—" His right foot got caught with the other. He didn't notice he had moved towards the edge of his level and he tripped backwards off of the platform. Cipher yelped in surprise, but it was too late to grab anything. He saw that he was bound to land on someone in just a few seconds. He was right, and with a _thud!_ Cipher collided on top of them.

The world was blurry for a moment when he opened his eyes. Cipher rubbed his back where the impact was and groaned. His senses cleared up, and he realized the music had stopped and some of the aliens were looking down at him. He put his hand up. "Uh, sorry about that- ow- don't mind me—"

Someone punched Cipher in the shoulder, hard. He cried out, and then glared behind him to see who did it. Cipher's eyes widened. Shit. It was one of the aliens at the collection shop the gang was at. She might've seen him steal the crystal, but they were too preoccupied with other matters so nothing came out of it. Now, she glared back. "Dude! What the hell?"

Cipher scrambled back onto his feet. "Ah, sorry! L-let me help you, uh…"

" _Plam?_ " she said, raising a brow. She let Cipher lift her back up.

"Plam! Right, of course. Uh, how are you?" He grinned nervously. If she did see him, might as well try to act nice.

"Oh you know, went out here to get some fresh air, only to have it knocked out of me." The alien rolled her eyes. "Thought you guys left though. What are you still doing here?"

Cipher shrugged. "My guides are trying to find a new ride, so I'm stuck here alone." Well, not exactly. Cipher glanced around to see where Blackburn was. As if on cue the pirate stepped beside Cipher, giving him a disappointed look. Cipher wanted to retort, but instead he continued, "Saw this whole gig though, so thought I'd join in. Didn't want to do a grand entrance, but hey life comes at you fast."

In response, Plam snorted. The giggles and chatter from Cipher's accident died down and the aliens refocused back to the center. The musicians, having been interrupted, decided to restart the song again. Taking this opportunity to try and escape, Cipher snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Aw rats! I just remembered I have a thing to get to. Just gonna—"

"Wait a minute!" Plam grabbed Cipher by the arm before he could turn away. "Come on, you got to have time for one song. Why don't you dance with me?"

Cipher clenched his teeth. That would be a bad situation. "Uh no, you don't want me to dance!"

"Sure I do! I don't know anyone here, plus I'm super bored man!"

"No we really _shouldn't_ that would make things uneven."

"Who cares? Come oooon." She bounced eagerly.

Cipher tried to slip away, smiling anxiously. "No you really don't want me!"

"It's just for fuuuun, just _oooooone_."

" _Noooo_."

" _Pleaseeeee_?"

" _Nahhh_."

" _Come oooon!_ "

" _Mmmmm naaaaah_ —"

Plam's face suddenly went deadpan. "If you don't dance with me I'll tell the soldiers you're here, and you stole our shit. They're right there." She pointed a thumb behind her shoulder. Two soldiers with rifles were on a perpendicular pier above the dancing crowd, but they were too busy conversing with each other.

Fuck, she did see. And fuck, authorities. They were looking for the gang, since they had messed up a scandal. The soldiers were small in numbers, but they were still soldiers nonetheless. Cipher hissed through his teeth. "Shit. Why didn't you…?"

"I don't get paid enough to deal with that, so I let it slip by. But oh no, life comes at you fast! If we dance, great! If we don't, I get to see an arrest, so also great! Nothing exciting ever happens here." Plam smirked. "So what will it be?"

Wow, rude. Cipher gave her an annoyed look. This just turned from bad to worse. He glanced at Blackburn, to see what he thought about this. The pirate only snickered at Cipher's dilemma, which didn't help the thief's mood. With a big sigh, Cipher finally replied, "Okay fine. Just don't get me—"

Plam yanked him away before he could finish. "Sweet!"

Cipher squawked as he was dragged into the circle of dancers. Blackburn got pulled along, but was able to reside with the crowd of bystanders close to the action. He chuckled. Oh, this was actually going to be hilarious.

Immediately Plam had started their rotation and she synced up with the other dancers. Cipher panicked, and he tried to follow along. _If I can't do the steps I might as well bullshit through it, right?_ He thought. That seemed like a good plan; since the aliens were there to have a good time, not judge. However, Plam wasn't dancing the same way Cipher was. She stumbled a bit as Cipher yanked the wrong way. "Hey, that's not how you do it!"

"I warned you." Cipher retorted. Now determined to throw his captor off, he purposefully stepped way too far to teeter her off balance. He didn't expect to bump into another pair of dancers though, who also bumped into another. They griped back at Cipher, shooting glares before returning to their dance. Cipher winced apologetically. However, out of the corner of his eye he saw a soldier glance down at the crowd after hearing the disgruntled dancers. The thief froze. He shouldn't be—

Cipher got bumped into again, and more shouts arose. There were more dancers? It was getting too crowded— but he couldn’t just stop. He tried his best to avoid the others while struggling to multitask with Plam. He kept orbiting, doing the steps haphazardly while worrying about getting caught. That was exactly what was going to happen if he didn't clean up his act. But there was no way Cipher could do this; he just didn't know what to do!

But someone else did.

"Black!" Cipher hissed, doing so at each rotation that the other alien won't notice.

Blackburn raised a brow.

"Black," Cipher said again, " _help me!_ "

The pirate scoffed. "Hell no. Honestly I think you're getting the hang of this." He smiled, mocking what Cipher had said earlier.

"Soldiers!" Cipher whispered, more harshly as he rotated again. "I'll get arrested and _stuck_ here." Rotated again. "And they might possess my stuff— the _ring!_ " The thief then got his foot stepped on. He yelped and hopped on it for a bit. He got hit again and a dancer cussed him off.

Oh. That was true. Blackburn saw that one of the soldiers had shifted his attention on the crowd now, but he'd have to get down to actually recognize Cipher in the distance. Unfortunately, it seemed like the guy was slowly making his way towards the ladders to check out the commotion. Tensing, Blackburn griped back, "Just ask Plam to show you!"

"She's mean!" Rotation. " _Fucking hurry_ they're gonna—" Cipher then got yanked away from Blackburn, and he was pulled into the middle circle of the dancers. There's going to be a domino effect of a disaster if Cipher's stuck in there.

Blackburn kept glancing at where Cipher was, then back at the soldiers. Fuck, he really didn't want to _dance_ of all things. Plus, how the hell would he show the thief now? He clenched his teeth, extremely conflicted. There was no time to fuss about it though, so Blackburn quickly floated past the people and appeared beside Cipher.

The thief was nervous more than ever now that a ring of aliens surrounded him, closing any exits. He looked up at Blackburn, desperate to get out of this.

"Uh—" Blackburn hesitated. He didn't really know exactly what to do either. However, as luck with have it, around them the dancers slowed down as the music came to a soft point in the song. Okay, this was his chance. Swallowing his dignity, Blackburn slowly eased his way and phased through Plam. He substituted as Cipher's partner instead while she was enveloped in the ghostly figure. The pirate scowled. God this was weird. The girl visibly shivered.

Cipher gave the pirate a confused look. It was also weird having the sensation of Blackburn's forearm against Cipher's own, but he lifted it up slightly so the pirate didn't have to lean down too much. He couldn't say anything out loud to the guy though, not with Plam right there. Cipher must've looked funny because Blackburn rolled his eye. "Ugh, just- just do what I do okay? It's goddamn easy you idiot." With the steady drum of the song, Blackburn stepped with it slowly, almost mimicking Plam's movements perfectly. "It's just a skip and a step and another. See? You can manage that."

A skip and a step and another. Sure. Looking down at his own feet, Cipher attempted to do the same thing Blackburn did. He did the combination wrong.

"Try again, you step with the other foot." Blackburn slowed his pace to show him.

Right, right. It was stiff but Cipher did it correctly that time.

"Good," Blackburn sighed, "now keep doing that, even as you switch."

As Plam switched direction so did Blackburn, and Cipher followed suit. _A skip and a step and another_ , he kept repeating that in his head. With enough concentration, soon the thief was able to match the rhythm of the song. Cipher let out a breath he was holding in, relieved. Then he let out sudden wheeze of air and doubled over. Because he concentrated too hard, he didn't see an oncoming alien's tail swing and sucker punch Cipher right in the gut. Plam just laughed at Cipher's pain, annoyingly enough, and dragged him on.

The pirate growled, "Pay attention! You have to actually _look up_ some time!"

 _I'm trying!_ Cipher mouthed out, seething.

Blackburn wanted to berate him more, but he glanced at the soldier— no, that won't help the situation. "Well we're at the walking bit." Blackburn did so, arm behind his back. "Think you can manage _that?_ "

Cipher shot him an irritated look. He mouthed out Blackburn's words mockingly.

His annoyance faded a bit when he heard the ghost add on, "…You were doing fine before, just keep trying. Be careful; I know you're good at that at least."

The reminder was… reassuring. Yeah. _Yeah!_ He was a fucking thief for star's sake! He shouldn't get pushed around like this. He should be slinking around with complete ease. Cipher swallowed his nerves, putting on a determined face, and strode along. They had to grab at the other's forearm now, and while Blackburn wasn't _technically_ touching Cipher the cold grasp made the thief shudder.

"Geez I thought this was summer, must be a breeze or something," said Plam.

Cipher nodded, trying to be inconspicuous. "Yeah totally, just an annoying breeze—" Claws gripped at his arm. "—that's very nice to have, yep! So soothing!"

The girl then dipped in and out while she spun with the thief. Blackburn continued, "It's literally just heel to toe then a step from here. Just keep moving and run with her if you mess up." He carefully showed Cipher again.

The thief, making sure to take his surroundings in, did just that and nailed it. Cipher held back a cry of excitement, partly because he was relived and partly because he did it right the first time. Plam gave a hoot as the song started to go faster and the music louder, others cheering as well. The drums beat through the wood of the piers and through Cipher's chest, the wind instrument looping in his ears. He started to smile. This whole thing wasn't as daunting now that he knew what the hell to do. He finally understood the liveliness of it all.

Blackburn continued to show Cipher where to step and how to hold his arms, occasionally letting go when the partners crossed each other or had to spin within the spin. Despite the odd conditions, Cipher was amazed the pirate didn't trip up once. He laughed.

"You're really good at this!" said the thief, forgetting about not directly speaking to Blackburn.

"Hell yeah," Plam replied instead. "See you in a minute though!"

"What—?"

Suddenly Plam let go and she hooked her arm around another dancer, who had left her partner, who had left his partner. Surprised, Cipher found himself pulled around with a stranger, but they were too rowdy to acknowledge him. Everyone had switched, and judging by what Plam said there was probably going to be more.

Cipher didn't mind though, as his ghost was still there. He ignored the stranger's presence and beamed when he was able to sync back with Blackburn. All worry and tension was gone and the thief deviated from the moves a bit, skipping to his own.

"I'm doing it!" Cipher proclaimed. The music was so boisterous that it drowned his voice out, but he knew Blackburn could still hear. Cipher confidently allowed himself to let go as the partners switched again, and he occasionally glanced at the ghost's legs as a frame of reference.

The two then went into a chain of switching partners all around the circle, going through the motions and trying to match up with new aliens (Cipher also desperately trying to catch up with Blackburn). There was switch where his partner was softer with her movements. Another switch, this one was huge and they practically dragged Cipher around. Another was bouncy— the next was swift— the next was dynamic— this one had four arms— this guy had a peg leg— the other was a small kid— and then a loudly singing woman. Cipher had found himself laughing along to the upbeat music; he didn't even have to think about where he was stepping anymore. It's been so long since he had participated in anything like this, let alone be… completely carefree? He had forgotten all about blending in, the danger of being caught, and just being low-key overall. Cipher looked past the woman and up at Blackburn to see how he was doing, since he hadn't heard any further instructions from the ghost.

Blackburn was too busy laughing his heart out.

Cipher was awestruck. The guy actually looked fucking _happy._ Cipher never thought that emotion existed in the pirate's menacing soul. Amazed and not knowing what else to do, Cipher let out a laugh of disbelief.

They switched again, this time to a person more of the pirate's size and probably too drunk to properly acknowledge their partner. Cipher let out a whoop as they went around. Blackburn and the partner stood in place as Cipher was guided and spun around them, and then orbited with both arms grasped.

"When did you have the time to do all this huh?" Cipher asked out loud.

"I don't fucking know," said Blackburn. However, there was a strange feeling. It had been at the back of Blackburn's mind, a distant memory he could not grasp. Sadly, he may never grasp at it again. He pondered on it though, and continued, "Someone must've taught me. Or I just picked it up from friends."

Cipher snorted, reversing the rotation. "You had friends?"

The pirate was about to object, but since he wasn't in the mood to be actually be upset, Blackburn just sneered instead. "Eh, maybe not 'friends', but something of the like."

"Well," Cipher said, craning his neck and wearing a smug look, "looks like I'm your first. Think you can show _this_ friend anything better?"

"You're more like a runt than a friend." Blackburn smirked.

"Runts can be friends! I mean I still keep _you_ around don't I?" The thief held back a snicker.

The thief also gave out a yelp. The intoxicated partner had lifted Cipher off his feet and was holding him hostage in the alien's embrace, one arm hooked and the other stretching Cipher's other arm out. The partner was slurring out the lyrics, probably totally out of it, and was spinning around to the fast pace of the music. Cipher would've groaned if not for Blackburn letting out a bellowing laughter at the situation. He had decided to mimic the same movements too, up close and personal to witness Cipher's queasy expression.

But the thief couldn't bring himself to be bothered by the conundrum. The crowd and dancers roared and chanted along, keeping Cipher's spirits high. He let himself get carried away with the one-sided dance, hooting out and joining in with Blackburn's own rumbling laugh (the thief also closed his eyes so he wouldn't be nauseous). The sound of their enjoyment was little compared to the deafening and thunderous music of the space sailors, who were hitting the highest parts of the song. The instruments, the dancers, the pier— it all swirled into a wondrous blur around them. Secretly, Cipher didn't want all of this to end.

But then he felt the rim of a hat brush against his hair. His eyes flew open. The intoxicated partner was slowly pushed out of Cipher's grasp and fell with a _thud!_ The alien lay passed out and sprawled on the floor, not lifting Cipher up. That was Blackburn instead. Oh shit—

"Black— Black!"

The pirate looked back, smile faltering. "What?"

"Y _-you're_ holding me!" Cipher sputtered, eyes filled with panic. "You're touching— you're **physical!** "

Blackburn instantly stopped. Tense, he blinked once. The ghost was standing there in physical form, amidst a crowd of aliens. Immediately without warning, he let go of Cipher and whooshed away his form, zipping back into the ring with a flash.

Cipher was able to land on his feet. He frantically looked around, reality hitting him like a dreadnaught ship. Did anyone see? Where was the soldier?

The crowd was pointing and hollering, but it wasn't at Cipher. It was directed at the passed out dancer who was being dragged away from the dancer's ring. They had also ripped their pants. Cipher let out a sigh of relief. It had only been a second or two that Blackburn was visible, but fortunately many of the bystanders were looking at the drunkard's accident. At this point Cipher would've loved to rest so his heart could stop racing; instead Plam swept him up again for the final switch off.

"Hey, looks like you survived the ring of death!" she said.

Cipher didn't reply right away. He was still trying to compose himself after the scare. "Uh… sure. Barely."

Plam winked. "Well I had a blast! This is the end of it though, ready?"

That was good news. After this was done he can skedaddle on out of there and off this planet. If anyone did see, then he wouldn't want to deal with it. With a weak smile, Cipher answered, "As I'll ever be."

"Cool! Then let me have a turn!" said a chipper voice.

Plam was shoved away and in her place was Chessur. She promptly hooked an arm around Cipher's and spun him around, added exaggerated skips and kicks of her heel.

The thief was flabbergasted, but let himself get pulled along. "Chessur? What are you doing here?"

"Well we just got done finding an escort!" She reversed the rotation. "They've got a super small ship, but it's the fastest one here. It'll take us to a bigger port system, then we'll probably have more luck there." Chessur then gave Cipher a toothy grin. "Didn't think we'd find you dancing the night away though!"

He nervously laughed. "Yeah well, I fell for the music I guess!" Literally.

Plam interjected, "Uh, what about me?"

 _Wish you would leave_ , Cipher thought. Across the sea of bobbing dancers he saw something that gave him alarm. It was the head of a soldier. The thief nudged at Plam when he came around. "Hey I danced with you for a majority of it! How about you help us out and give that guy a swing of his life?" Cipher pointed with his chin to the soldier.

Plam saw the authority figure and pursed her lips in thought. Cipher seriously didn't want the alien to screw him over. He was getting too tired from dancing; he wouldn't be sure if he could outrun the soldier. The thief didn't have to worry anymore as Plam smiled back and gave a small salute. She said, "Sure thing! Have a safe trip guys!"

Cipher watched Plam disappear into the crowd. After a few moments, the head of the soldier was immediately yanked away from the gang's area, and he was forced to swing around with the alien girl. Phew.

There was a big shout from everyone, hollering to the last legs of the song. Chessur pulled Cipher in a spin, almost making him stumble and trip. He couldn't help but laugh at Chess's strength. He managed to catch a glimpse of something blue though. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Blackburn materialize again. This time the pirate sat on a crate, resting his chin on his hand. He looked fatigued, but seemed to enjoy Chessur's wild steps. It also just so happened that Madens was standing right next to Blackburn, crossing his arms in disapproval at the two mucking about.

Cipher was still lofty, so he had an idea. "Hey Chess," said Cipher. He nudged her shoulder. "Think we can fit one more in?"

She looked perplexed for a bit, but she realized whom Cipher was referring to and snickered. "Oh yeah, definitely."

Quickly, before the song was over, the two spun away from the ring. With an air of innocence they made their way closer to Madens, who narrowed his eyes. "Are you two done?" He grumbled.

"Nope!" They both said, and grabbed Madens's arms.

Before he could object, or even react, each of them hooked an arm around Madens's. They used him as a pivot as they spun around and around and around, crying out in delight at their feat. Madens gave a shout of distress and anger, but he couldn't melt or morph away due to the crowd. If they kept this up he'll get dizzy, and the loud music didn't help his head. Madens let out a low noise from his throat. "Oh you want to joke around huh?" The amoeba used his strength to pin the already hooked arms down to his sides. He then started to use his captors' momentum and spin _them_ around and around and around. Cipher squawked out an objection while Chessur laughed her head off.

The drums smashed, the wind ones blew, and the rest of the instruments gave their last vociferation of joy, ripping through the port— and they silenced at once. All the dancers held each other, while the trio stopped in a "ta-da" motion (with a disgruntled Madens), and the bystanders gawked. All there was were the quiet sounds of panting. Then, as immediate as the ending, cheers erupted into the night. The sailors gave a bow and beer mugs clashed into each other. The euphoria rose and fell from person to person, the participants slowly dispersing from the pier.

"That was fucking awesome!" Chessur shouted. "Let's do it again!"

"No!" said Cipher and Madens, at the same time. Madens eyed Cipher questionably, before grabbing both of them and carrying the two under his arms with a grunt.

"Madens we have legs, we can walk!" argued Chess.

"If you two are going to act like children then you're going to be treated like children." Madens shook his head. "God."

Cipher pouted at being lifted like this by the amoeba (again). His displeasure dissipated when he heard clapping. He turned his head back to see Blackburn. He gave a lonesome applause, and with a tired smile he whisked into the air like smoke.

The thief felt the ring hum with Blackburn's presence again. Twitching his hand to rub the fingers reassuringly against the ring, Cipher whispered, "...You had a lot of fun, didn't ya?" He chuckled.

There was a moment of silence. Cipher bit his lip, afraid the pirate was too drained to speak, but then the ring glowed back.

 _Yeah._ Blackburn admitted.  _I had fun._


End file.
